Going To The Core Of The Issue - Whatever The Need, COMP® Can Do The Cams

COMP Cams® has long been known for its ability to rapidly tailor-make camshafts for its customers, no matter if it’s for a professional racer or a street high performance enthusiast. The ability for COMP® to do this is the hallmark of its customer service. For more than 34 years, they have led the way in quick delivery of cams, from the exotic to the mild mannered.

COMP® camshafts are crafted from bar stock steel like this

Their ability to do this is based on two fundamental reasons. First is the basic “Whatever it Takes” philosophy that drives the organization. This philosophy is at the heart of everything they do, and they mean it. Over the years, they have honed this philosophy into its guiding force. It permeates every part of the manufacturing and customer service process.

The second reason is they have the capability to produce virtually any application, because unlike any other cam manufacturer, COMP® has the ability to make cores on site. This means that the cam making process, from beginning to end, is fast and extremely customer friendly – a fact that is literally and figuratively at the “core” of how they make cams, in most cases, within 24 hours of its order.


How COMP® came to be the leader in providing this kind of capability is a story in itself. It all began over a decade ago when COMP® looked into, what was then, state-of-the-art cam grinding equipment. It was a dual process of acquiring precision machinery that would grind cams and also provide them with the ability to make virtually any automotive core possible.

State-of-the-art Okuma equipment designed for COMP®

Both goals were met when COMP® partnered with the Okuma Corporation in Japan, who designed and delivered cutting edge equipment that was more than capable of producing the high-quality cams COMP® is known for. The equipment designed from this partnership exceeded expectations from both the speed and accuracy standpoints, and was integral in providing COMP® the capability of making cores available for virtually any requirement in the automotive aftermarket.

This high-tech equipment provides the absolute most accurate cam production available, and because it is automated CNC machinery, the precision and tolerances produced are second to none. And, it also provides COMP® with the ability to manufacture even more exotic cams, such as aircraft, outdoor power equipment and power sports camshafts.




Core Making

Cores are meticulously measured, ensuring tolerances are tightly held

When COMP® produces cores, it is a highly scientific, multi-step process, and each step is subjected to intense scrutiny. The process begins with core material selection. Depending on the application, a core will be produced from 8620, 9310 or M4 tool steel. All materials are certified and verified before they are loaded into the CNC machine for the initial rough cut.

When the machining process is complete, every core goes to Quality Control (QC) where it is verified for specification integrity through a linier and angle dimensions checking process. This procedure measures key points on the roughed core and matches the data against blueprint specifications for each given application.

When cores have been verified and certified, they move into the next phases, which are core gun drilling (if applicable), copper coating and heat treating. Every one of these steps is done under very tight standards tolerances. After each step is completed, the core goes back to the QC lab where the linier dimensions are re-verified.

Next, they are checked for the appropriate Rockwell hardness for their given applications before they move to the final steps of having the journals finish ground and then to the machine shop to do any final finishing that may be required.

After a core has successfully moved through each of the steps, it is ready to become a camshaft (which is yet another story of excellence). However, suffice it to say that when a core has made it to the final step, there is total assurance and confidence that it is the finest and most accurate core possible and is ready to become a cam at a moment’s notice.

The core production method is among the most rigorous processes that any product is subjected to at COMP Cams®. That’s because the core is literally at the center of the finest cams made in the industry. There is no room for error, irregularity or deviation from tightly held tolerances and specifications. And that’s how it goes at COMP®, with their zero tolerance attitude when it comes to core production.

For more information about COMP Cams® products and services, visit www.compcams.com.

COMP Cams®
3406 Democrat Road
Memphis, TN 38118
Tech Support: 1-800-999-0853
General: 901-795-2400
Fax: 901-366-1807